1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clock or watch which has a face that changes color due to the time of day and more particularly pertains to a new day and night depicting clock device for demonstrating daytime and nighttime on a clock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a clock or watch that has a face that changes color due to the time of day is known in the prior art. More specifically, clocks or watches which has a face that changes color due to the time of day are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,475; U.S., Pat. No. 3,595,009; U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,572; U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,089; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 251,362; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 286,755.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new day and night depicting clock device. The inventive device includes a clock having a clock face wall and an hour drive shaft rotating once every twelve hours. A first disk is mounted on the hour drive shaft for rotation with the hour drive shaft, has a radially extending first slot, is formed of a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the first disk, and has a relatively light color to identify a daytime period. A second disk is positioned behind the first disk, is fixed against rotation with respect to the clock face wall, has a radially-extending second slot, is formed from a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the second disk, and has a relatively dark color to identify a night-time period. The first disk is movable through the second slot of the second disk. A shifting assembly shifts a portion of one of the disks with respect to another of the disks to cause the first disk to move through the second slot of the second disk to shift the first disk either from a position behind the second disk to a position in front of the second disk or from a position in front of the second disk to a position behind the second disk. An actuating assembly periodically actuates the shifting assembly.
In these respects, the day and night depicting clock device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of demonstrating daytime and nighttime on a clock.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of a clock or watch which has a face that changes color due to the time of day now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new day and night depicting clock device construction wherein the same can be utilized for demonstrating daytime and night-time on a clock.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device which has many of the advantages of the clock or watch which has a face that changes color due to the time of day mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new day and night depicting clock device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art a clock or watch which has a face that changes color due to the time of day, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a clock having a clock face wall and an hour drive shaft rotating once every twelve hours. A first disk is mounted on the hour drive shaft for rotation with the hour drive shaft, has a radially extending first slot, is formed of a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the first disk, and has a relatively light color to identify a daytime period. A second disk is positioned behind the first disk, is fixed against rotation with respect to the clock face wall, has a radially-extending second slot, is formed from a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the second disk, and has a relatively dark color to identify a night-time period. The first disk is movable through the second slot of the second disk. A shifting assembly shifts a portion of one of the disks with respect to another of the disks to cause the first disk to move through the second slot of the second disk to shift the first disk either from a position behind the second disk to a position in front of the second disk or from a position in front of the second disk to a position behind the second disk. An actuating assembly periodically actuates the shifting assembly.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new day and night depicting clock device which has many of the advantages of the clock or watch which has a face that changes color due to the time of day mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new day and night depicting clock device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new day and night depicting clock device that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new day and night depicting clock device that is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such day and night depicting clock device economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device for demonstrating daytime and nighttime on a clock.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device that includes a clock having a clock face wall and an hour drive shaft rotating once every twelve hours. A first disk is mounted on the hour drive shaft for rotation with the hour drive shaft, has a radially extending first slot, is formed of a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the first disk, and has a relatively light color to identify a daytime period. A second disk is positioned behind the first disk, is fixed against rotation with respect to the clock face wall, has a radially-extending second slot, is formed from a resiliently flexible material to permit flexing of a portion of the second disk, and has a relatively dark color to identify a night-time period. The first disk is movable through the second slot of the second disk. A shifting assembly shifts a portion of one of the disks with respect to another of the disks to cause the first disk to move through the second slot of the second disk to shift the first disk either from a position behind the second disk to a position in front of the second disk or from a position in front of the second disk to a position behind the second disk. An actuating assembly periodically actuates the shifting assembly.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device that is an eye-catching way of illustrating the hours of day and night.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new day and night depicting clock device that is a decorative alternative to standard clocks.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.